The invention relates to power-driven conveyor systems and in particular to enclosed chain flight conveyor systems for the handling of bulk materials, one such system being disclosed by Sackett et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,584, of which the present invention is an improvement. The said disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,584 are incorporated by reference thereto in this present application.
A need has existed for an enclosed conveyor system which, in addition to being waterproof against outside moisture and eliminating dust nuisances and material losses due to spillage and blow-away, allows movement of large volumes of bulk material either horizontally or at any angle of inclination up to 90.degree. , and up to an angle of inclination of 45.degree. when intermixing of dissimilar conveyed materials is to be prevented. The present invention provides such a conveyor system which has the further capability of discharging material at any number of points along the path of the conveyor. Still further, the present conveyor apparatus is capable of conveying two separate materials within the same housing and discharging said materials into separate storage bins.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an enclosed conveyor system capable of moving large volumes of material either horizontally or at any angle of inclination up to 90.degree. , or at an angle of inclination up to 45.degree. where two dissimilar materials are to be conveyed without intermixing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an enclosed conveyor system comprised of Z-shaped flights driven by a chain, the direction of travel of the chain-driven flights being reversible to and from horizontal travel to inclined travel, and to and from vertical travel.
Another object of this invention is to provide a conveyor system which is environmentally sound and which is efficient and reliable in operational use.
It is another object of the invention to provide an enclosed conveyor system wherein two separate materials can be moved within the enclosed system and discharged therefrom at one or more points along the path of travel into separate material storage bins.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.